Locals have expressed frustration at a public meeting in Kyogle around a controversial CSIRO report aimed at reducing flooding, with residents asking for more details around mapping which could have significant impacts on properties and farmland.
There are more meetings planned for Lismore tomorrow, Wednesday 22 July, 9am–11am at Lismore Workers Club, and also in Ballina tomorrow, Wednesday 22 July, from 3.30pm–5.30pm at the Ballina Lighthouse & Lismore SLSC. A meeting is planned in Woodburn on Thursday 23 July, 9am–11am at Woodburn Memorial Hall.
The flood report suggests a network of ten massive water detention basins across the Richmond River catchment could have kept the March 2022 flood peak below the Lismore CBD levee.
The report was prepared for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Released 30 June, the report is the second output of CSIRO’s Northern Rivers Resilience Initiative, commissioned after the February-March 2022 floods.
It uses a detailed hydrodynamic model of the entire 7,000 square kilometre catchment to test whether flood mitigation measures proposed by councils and the community would have reduced flooding in the 2008, 2017 and 2022 events. CSIRO modelled two ‘bundles’ of works.
Two bundles tabled
The smaller, Bundle 1, includes five detention basins – at Fawcetts, Eden, Rock Valley, Dunoon and Corndale – plus an upgrade to the Tuckean Swamp/Bagotville barrage and the reopening of Boundary Creek to the ocean.
Bundle 2 adds five more detentions, at Collins Valley, Barlings, Bentley, Goolmangar and Booyong. Storage capacities range from 11.3 gigalitres at Barlings to 94.3 gigalitres at Rock Valley.
For the record February 2022 flood, when the Lismore gauge peaked at 14.87m, the modelling shows Bundle 1 would have cut the peak to 13.75m and Bundle 2 to 12.80m – both still above the 10.65m CBD levee. For the second, smaller peak on 31 March 2022 (11.02 m), Bundle 1 brings the level to 10.10m and Bundle 2 to 9.30m, both under the levee.
That’s only possible because the detentions had already been drained after the February peak. For the 2017 flood, Bundle 2 would have kept Lismore’s peak under the levee by about 0.4m; Bundle 1 would not have. The authors stress the detention designs are indicative only – detailed engineering, cost-benefit analysis, environmental approvals and government sign-off are yet to happen. The model also can’t control local rainfall runoff within towns, meaning parts of Lismore’s CBD, known locally as ‘the basin’, could still flood even when the river itself stays under the levee.
As previously reported, Lismore mayor Steve Kreig was successful in adopting bundle two into Lismore City Council’s Flood Risk Management Plan.
Environmental activist Nan Nicholson said, ‘The enormous dams proposed by CSIRO have now been strongly espoused by Lismore City Council even before the feasibility study. Anyone who has an opinion about this needs to attend the drop in session at Lismore Workers Club from 9-11 Wednesday 22 July. If you say nothing it will be interpreted as support’.
Community solidarity in Kyogle
Paul Daley, Creative Director at A Lush Forest Media, said on social media that there was an ‘Incredible display of community solidarity in Kyogle at the first of many community information events for the 12 mega retention dams proposed for the Richmond catchments by CSIRO to reduce flooding downstream’.
‘It’s an enormous amount of temporary flood storage, on the order of 40 Rocky Creek Dams spread across the upper Richmond catchment.
‘Unbelievably, with an $11 million feasibility budget, there was no microphone or no plan to actually answer questions from the community as an open forum.
‘So our community leaders stood up and took charge. Among some high emotions and frustrations, community leaders respectfully took questions, and to the credit of Jai and others from CSIRO, an attempt was made to answer what they could.
‘Was [federal Nationals MP] Kevin Hogan there? No he wasn’t.
[NSW Greens MLC] Sue Higginson facilitated an open discussion giving an opportunity for the community to be heard.
‘But… Unfortunately there are still many information gaps. Please show up at your local “information sessions” and demand questions be answered.
‘Showing us all the maps would be a good start.
‘The full extent of inundation for every one of the 12 mega-dams proposed in our hills – not just the two included in the report.
‘[We need all the] large maps in detail for every dam, with accompanying written lists, so everyone can easily see whose homes, whose farms and buildings and which forests will be destroyed, which roads will be unusable for weeks, which areas are at risk of landslips.
‘And who will live downstream under the shadow of these dams with their enormous gates and risk of catastrophic failure with the rapid drawdowns of detained water proposed post flood peaks.
‘That is the bare minimum of detail, of transparency that has been woefully lacking so far, if this project is to reclaim any semblance of “social licence”.
‘Then demonstrating a genuine desire to listen by holding consultations at times when working people can actually attend them, and making an enthusiastic effort to widely advertise them.
‘Politicians and other proponents of these dams [need to show] show real courage and confidence by facing each of the communities that would be affected in town hall meetings.
‘For now, get down to one of the brief drop-in sessions happening this week’.
Big Rob attacks Greens
Lismore councillor Big Rob posted on social media, ‘It appears Silly Sue [Franklin], the Far Left Extremist representing The Greens, took over the Kyogle public session organised by NEMA to consider the CSIRO Report’.
‘If Silly Sue and The Greens get their way, many more businesses will go broke and more people will die!!!
‘I am trying to organise a flight to get back to attend some of the remaining sessions in person, if nothing more than to try to shut down this delusional peanut. The next step is only a feasibility study. Why is Silly Sue too scared to see if what is in the report is even feasible?’
Kyogle mayor sceptical of economics
Kyogle mayor Danielle Mulholland told www.indynr.com she had spent time reading the CSIRO flood mitigation report.
‘Many people living in these communities may not yet be aware their locality has been identified as a potential dam site.
‘If you live in or near one of these areas, I strongly encourage everyone to take a close look at the report and attend one of the drop-in information sessions which are being held this week.
‘The report indicates that some of these dams could retain floodwater for up to two weeks before emptying. This makes it especially important that local communities understand what is being proposed and engage early in the process, particularly if, like me, you have concerns about the potential environmental, ecological or cultural impacts.
‘This is a report with significant implications for communities across the Richmond River catchment.
‘Personally, I can’t understand how building billions of dollars worth of massive dams to lower the potential flood level in Lismore by 2m makes any economic sense.
‘What if the next major flood is bigger than the 2022 one?
‘The reality is that if you live on a floodplain, it’s sooner or later always going to flood.
‘And there’s one other consideration.
‘By 2050, which is not that far away, the federal government’s National Climate Risk Assessment estimates that up to 25 per cent of homes will be uninsurable due to the increasing risks of climate change’.
‘…even with government backing, large scale infrastructure takes time’.
‘Before earthworks can even begin, there are years of complex geotechnical analysis, environmental approvals, and land acquisitions required in the upper catchments’, she said.
Woodburn meeting on Thursday
Meanwhile, Evans Head Residents for Sustainable Development Inc said that the CSIRO is coming to Woodburn next Thursday to get feedback and talk with local residents about their proposal to mitigate flood levels.
‘A number of options are proposed including retention basins upstream to reduce flood peaks, flood gates on the Tuckombil Canal in Woodburn which will operate automatically to regulate water flows and an opening up of the Boundary Creek at Broadwater (which has occurred naturally in the past) to allow floodwaters to get away to the ocean well before it ever gets to Ballina.
‘We are particularly interested in the changes recommended for the man-made Tuckombil Canal in Woodburn which would change the existing arrangement of a fixed weir to flood gates which could potentially benefit escape of flood waters.
‘The problem is that during non-flood times the contaminated water of the Richmond River could flow through into the Evans River twice a day adding to the burden the river already has from years of contamination from the Richmond.
‘Before the Tuckombil Canal was built in the mid 1890s it was 1.6km flood plain from the Richmond to the Evans River. There was no ongoing connection between the two.
Hydrological study does not consider contamination
‘The problem with the CSIRO study is that it is a hydrological study, which does not consider the potential contaminating effects of the Richmond on the Evans.
‘The Evans River Estuary has already been badly contaminated by the Richmond reflected in the death of a once thriving oyster industry. And sea grasses, a nursery to many species of fish and other marine creatures have virtually disappeared.
‘It is interesting to note that the well-respected government surveyor recommended in 1890 against the two rivers being connected to help with floods but that advice was ignored after political pressure from those eager to have flood waters get away prevailed and the canal was built. We have been experiencing the effects of that unfortunate decision since then not helped by discharges along the Evans River which, in our view, will only become worse if the Iron Gates residential development goes ahead and all the contamination from that development flows into the river in stormwater.
‘The quality of Evans River water at the Elm Street Bridge and at the ‘Drain’ near the Council Information Centre is already consistently poor because of the runoff.
‘We encourage you to attend the consultation meeting in Woodburn on the 23rd of July and to make your views known to those present as well as your local members’, they said.
The remaining public meetings are:
Lismore – Wednesday 22 July, 9:00am–11:00am at Lismore Workers Club
Ballina – Wednesday 22 July, 3:30pm-5:30pm at Ballina Lighthouse & Lismore SLSC
Woodburn – Thursday 23 July, 9:00am–11:00am at Woodburn Memorial Hall.’
For all sessions visit the website.
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